Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories on the June 2 primary election in California. The stories include comments from candidates who agreed to interviews with The Center Square.
(The Center Square) – Affordability has become a top household term this year for voters concerned about California as the June 2 gubernatorial primary nears.
Sixty-one candidates are on the ballot, but the seven with the highest poll numbers are Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, followed by Democrats Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, although not necessarily in that order. In fact, new polling this week shows this November’s race for governor of California may come down to Republican Steve Hilton vs. Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Hilton is a former television news personality and political adviser in the United Kingdom. Bianco is the sheriff of Riverside County. Becerra is a former congressman, a former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services and a former California attorney general. Steyer is a billionaire philanthropist. Porter is a former U.S. congresswoman representing Orange County. Mahan is the mayor of San Jose, and Villaraigosa is a former Los Angeles mayor and a former speaker of the California Assembly.
Hilton said he’s running to save California.
“I think we’re the greatest, most beautiful state in the greatest nation on earth, and everyone can see that we’ve gone badly off track,” Hilton told The Center Square. “We have the highest poverty rate in the country, tied with Louisiana, actually, the highest unemployment rate of all 50 states, and the highest cost of living.”
This, said Hilton, is one reason why thousands of people are leaving California. Another reason? Democrats and their policies, Hilton said.
“The Democrats who’ve been in charge have just made it so expensive to live here, such a hassle to do anything here, to run a business, to build anything, because of the insane burden of taxation and regulation,” said Hilton. “I’m running to bring back some common sense and restore California to its glory.”
Hilton’s plan includes lowering gas prices to $3 a gallon in California.
Right now, people in the Golden State are seeing gas prices as high as $7 and $8 in some places. The average price on Friday was $6.13 a gallon, well above the national average of $4.56, according to AAA. Mono County, which is on California’s border with Nevada, had the state’s most expensive average at $7.07 a gallon.
“Obviously, there’s a temporary spike everywhere because of the war with Iran,” Hilton said. “But even now, gas prices are at least $2 higher in California than they are in the rest of the country, and that’s entirely as a result of Democrat policies.”
To turn things around, Hilton wants to tap into California’s oil reserves and use domestic supplies as opposed to importing energy from other states.
“Beyond that, we’ve got a whole set of regulations that just make it much more expensive to refine and produce oil and gas in California, which adds to the cost,” said Hilton. “I’ve laid out how we’re going to reduce and simplify those regulations on the refineries and so on, to get back to a more reasonable level.”
Hilton has also shared plans to build more houses and engage in tax reform that helps people making $100,000 or less.
Bianco also promises to help make things more affordable, but he said that none of that matters if people are not safe.
“Public safety has been destroyed in California,” Bianco told The Center Square. “We have to make crime a crime again.”
The Riverside County sheriff said crime has been a problem for years, and he puts most of the blame on Propositions 47 and 57.
Prop. 47 reclassified some property and drug crimes from potential felonies to misdemeanors. Prop. 57 altered how prisons and parole systems handle felonies.
“There has to be accountability for bad behavior, for your actions,” said Bianco, who’s been in law enforcement for 32 years. “You have to be held accountable for committing crimes.”
Some of Hilton’s and Bianco’s policies are similar. For example, both candidates recommend better terrain management and deregulation as a way to prevent wildfires. They also want to move away from policies meant to combat man-made climate change.
“All of the regulations and rules for the climate are what are forcing everyone out of California and making it impossible to live here because of cost,” said Bianco.
The five leading Democratic candidates for governor – Becerra, Steyer, Porter, Mahan and Villaraigosa – did not respond to The Center Square’s request for an interview.
However, Steyer has promised on debate stages that he will take on special interest groups and lower costs.
“I’ll build homes, and I’ll get single-payer healthcare,” said Steyer. “I’ll reduce electricity costs by 25%.”
Becerra’s priorities include housing, energy and utilities, healthcare and fighting Republican President Donald Trump.
“As Governor, I’ll work every day to show Californians their trust was well placed,” Becerra posted May 19 on X.
Villaraigosa is on record as saying the next governor will have to do more than take on Trump.
“We need someone with the courage to take on Donald Trump but also take on our friends when they’re wrong,” said Villaraigosa. “I’ve had a record of doing that, as mayor and speaker.”
Mahan said Steyer’s policies of higher taxes and bigger government will not help Californians. He also criticized Hilton for being a Fox News personality and said Hilton’s policies will lead to “fear, division and more Donald Trump.”
Mahan also went after Becerra.
“Let’s be honest. Becerra is not offering change,” said Mahan during the May 14 debate. “He’s the embodiment of the status quo.”
Someone who feels none of these men have what it takes is Porter. She has often mentioned that she’s a single mom who pays the bills, does the shopping, and buys gasoline for her well-traveled minivan. To address high prices, Porter has proposed several solutions, including reforms for the permitting process.
“We can bring down housing costs by 10 or 20%, and that is not a few extra dollars,” said Porter. “That’s hundreds or thousands of dollars back in the pockets of families, and it’s opening up home ownership to the next generation of Californians.”
That includes Porter’s three teenagers, who “believe they will not be able to buy houses in California” if this problem is not solved, Porter said.
According to the California Secretary of State’s website, Steyer has raised the most money of any campaign: $197,085,105.25 from 373 contributions. Much of this is self-funded, although there are individual donations from people and organizations such as the United Domestic Workers of America Action Fund at $8,935.89.
Mahan for Governor 2026 has raised $15,420,362.45 in 2,970 contributions. Silicon Valley Auto Dealers Association donated $39,200.
Steve Hilton has raised $11,408,079.87 in 34,712 contributions. This includes a $39,200 donation from Pacific Coast Companies Inc.
Porter has $9,878,805.04 in 75,395 contributions. California Association of Professional Scientists, Consumer Attorneys of California Political Action Committee and United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals PAC are among her biggest contributors.
Becerra has $7,420,877.50 in 7,388 contributions. The largest amounts include a $39,2000 donation from California Real Estate PAC and a $15,000 donation from California Academy of Family Physicians PAC.
Villaraigosa has raised $7,267,035.94 in 1,950 contributions. This includes $39,200 donations from Chevron and the California State Association of Electrical Workers.
Bianco has raised $6,144,571.87 in 16,298 contributions. His biggest donors include construction and development firms in amounts of $39,200.
Voting centers will be open from May 23 to June 1 in Voter’s Choice Act counties and from May 30 to June 1 elsewhere. Voters should check with their counties for further details.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2, Election Day. For more information, go to the Secretary of State’s website, sos.ca.gov. Early election results will be published on the evening of June 2 at www.thecentersquare.com/california.
